"The Official..TV Audience..Medium Band":  In early 1994 I was flown to Berlin, Germany, by Herr Stiletto Studios to help build & run a complex media project whose various components had various names.  One component was a cable TV program that was on the Open Channel a minimum of 15 hours a day, the time otherwise unused.  We set up a studio, the Blaumilchkontrol (Blue Milk Control - a reference to a novel) & an installation in the Akademie der Kunst (West) as part of a large exhibit called "X94: junge kunst + kultur", an exhibit meant to showcase the work of young artists.  For the 1st 2 weeks after I arrived I worked 100 hours a week building the technical framework for the piece, mainly in conjunction with Axel Jagemann.  After that, the TV Hospital program was transmitted to the cable TV station using ISDN, picture telephone lines — at that point a very primitive & low resolution medium — & then sent out to the audience.  The footage presented here was originally preserved on PAL VHS, copied to another PAL VHS, & then rendered as NTSC VHS.  Despite the resultant poor resolution, it's still higher quality than what the viewing audience saw.  

While I was in Berlin I was also active in areas not related to the TV Hospital.  One of the things I did was reform the 'Official' Project with all new membership (other than myself, of course).  I tried to convince the original cofounder of the project, Neil Feather, to join me in Berlin but he wouldn't.  For an idea of what the original BalTimOre-based project was like check out this movie of one of our gigs: "The Official, April 29th, 1992E.V., Band That Does Accept Money From Institutions": https://youtu.be/DdAPsiswqT8 .  The Berlin band was formed under difficult circumstances: I didn't speak German, 3 of the band members basically didn't speak English, one of the band wasn't really a musician, none of them had ever tried to play anything like what I was presenting them with before.  Brad Hwang, one of the saxophonists, arranged for me to squat in a luxury apartment for use as band practice space.  The practices were awkward, some of the people who auditioned were rock musicians who wanted a regular beat.  They didn't last.  

ANYWAY, our 1st gig was at the TV Hospital & had an element of potential (v)audience participation.  It was one of the least successful concerts I ever pulled off.  I say that I prefer the term "Uncert" for "Uncertainty Concert" & that might be particularly applicable here.  We'd only had 2 or 3 rehearsals, some of the players didn't know the material, at least one of the players seemed to be avoiding even playing at all - knowing that they'd be unable to do anything much more than fake it.  Instead they got drunk.  I had to spend too much time conducting & too little playing. Much to my surprise, a few people hung around & danced.  Thank you to them!!  All in all, it was a MESS without being a MESSTERPIECE.  Still, it had its moments & Axel Jagemann's computer graphics helped.  I upload it partially just to thoroughly make available online footage from all 'performances' I gave as part of Stiletto's project as reported here: http://idioideo.pleintekst.nl/MereOutline1994.html .  Some might even find it funny.  

The band members were: tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE (DX27S Synthesizer, Recorder), Brad Hwang (Alto Sax), Yvonne Harder ([pretend] Stand-Up Acoustic Bass [the Bass was "real" - Yvonne's playing of it was largely simulated] & Voice), Florian Cramer (Alto Sax, Small Keyboard, Flute, Voice), Björn Balcke (Guitar), Dr. Meyrink (Trumpet), Erik (Accordion).  Fortunately, our 2nd (& last) gig was better: "Das Offizielle, 21 Mai 1994 Era Vulgari Hypothetisches Tagediebetage Mittel-Band/Landesjugendorchester": https://youtu.be/VQELYKRVHF0 .

- February 17, 2021E.V. notes from tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE 

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